


Autophobia

by CaroLeitze



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: AU, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-10-23 13:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17684045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaroLeitze/pseuds/CaroLeitze
Summary: Freddy's is a distant memory to Henry Emily- at least, he wants it to be. He founded Junior's Pizza to forget, but his daughter, Charlie isn't so eager to leave Freddy's behind.  Her father carries on like it never existed, but Charlie remembers everything. She remembers the four animatronic characters that made up so much of her childhood- Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, Foxy the Fox, and Chica the Chicken. She remembers the missing children incident, which rocked the small town of Hurricane, Utah. She remembers the years of pain following the incident, remembers her father selling the franchise to try and erase it.Now 19 years old, she helps with birthday parties and maintains her father's new animatronic creations at Junior's. Mr. Hippo, Happy Frog, Orville the Elephant, Pigpatch, and Nedd Bear make Junior's what it is- a real life fairytale. But Charlie knows that the fairytale is nothing more than a facade. Her father is hiding something, and a horrific incident sends her searching for answers. What she uncovers is even more disturbing than she ever thought possible- and her father isn't the person she thought he was.





	1. One of THOSE Days

**Author's Note:**

> __
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **This is an AU. It takes place in the game universe, with elements of the books sprinkled throughout. Here are the major plot points/story elements to keep in mind:**
> 
>  
> 
> - _Both Henry and Charlie are alive and well at the beginning of the story- Charlie was never murdered by William and, therefore, her spirit never possessed The Marionette. Henry never committed suicide._
> 
> - _Elizabeth/Baby is a full-fledged cyborg and essentially a little girl trapped in an adult body._
> 
> - _After the missing children incident, Henry was going to re-franchise Freddy's but ended up selling it. He licensed and opened Junior's Pizza as a result, which features the Mediocre Melodies Animatronics. Henry is successfully running this pizzeria in the story._
> 
> - _Charlie grew up in Hurricane- she moved houses after Henry's divorce from her mother, but they remained in town._
> 
> - _Circus Baby's Rentals exists in this AU._
> 
> - _There is a Bite of '83 but NO BITE OF '87. This does not guarantee, however, that there's only one bite in the story. Just saying._
> 
> - _Michael was institutionalized immediately following the Bite of '83 due to his direct role in the incident. When the story starts he's 20, newly released and searching for his father and, in conjunction, Elizabeth. This leads him to a couple of different Freddy's Restaurants, taking security guard positions in an attempt to find them. (Keep in mind that my timeline is different and the FNAF and FNAF 2 Pizzerias exist at the same time, with one owner overseeing both.)_
> 
> _-The restaurant featuring the Toy Animatronics is called "Freddy and Friend's" while the one featuring the classic models is called "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza"._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> __

"Hello, boys and girls!"

  
It didn't matter how many times Charlie heard that boisterous animatronic voice- it made her jump every time, at least at 8 in the morning. She looked up from the dozens of party favors in front of her to see Nedd Bear waving to invisible children while Pigpatch, Orville, and Happy Frog sprung to life beside him.  


"It's a wonderful day here at Junior's Pizza! Let me introduce you to my friends!"

  


Charlie tuned out the rest of the familiar dialogue and went about setting a nearby table. She neatly placed an animatronic minifigure on each colorful foil plate along with a piece of paper and crayons. Her father had children's drawings all over the restaurant- it was all a part of the charm, he said. And charming it was, with purple and green walls, endless streamers, an old-school arcade and, of course, her father's iconic creations.  
Mr. Hippo added to the animatronic banter from his corner of the restaurant as she steadied a Pigpatch figure, and Charlie immediately knew something was off. There was no clicking sound emanating from the purple mascot- his jaw was completely slack.  


"...Dad?" She called, staring at the animatronic's gaping jaw.  


"Yeah?" Her father's tone told her that she'd caught him in the middle of inventory.

  


"Nevermind!" She turned on her heels and headed to the back room, where she carefully dug through her father's multitiered toolbox, making sure it stayed organized to his liking. Malfunctioning jaws were an easy fix- all she needed was a medium-sized screwdriver and wrench, both of which she found quickly. By the time she made her way back out to the showroom floor, her father had placed some boxes on the prize counter. She had to move fast. Mr. Hippo's eyes followed her as she approached him from the right side of the stage, her tools in hand. She wondered if he understood her intentions.

  


"Too many stories, eh Mr. H?" The 19-year-old carefully felt for the power switch that was situated on an unmoving joint in the animatronic's neck. There was still no sign of Henry, and she relaxed. He was wary of her maintaining the robots even though she was following in his engineering footsteps. She'd even created an animatronic of her own. It was really only a vacuum with a self-sustaining power supply and light-up eyes, but she knew what she was doing.  
After turning Mr. Hippo off, Charlie stood on her tiptoes in order to examine the moving joint that connected the robot's jaw to his head. It was working fine- there had to be an internal issue. After scanning the room one more time, she removed the hippo's mask and revealed the intricate endoskeleton underneath it. All she had to do was press the button directly under his jaw to reveal the internal components...

  
"Charlotte!"

  


She stumbled backwards and hugged the hippo, who didn't quake in the slightest. She turned to face her father with a sheepish smile but only got a scolding expression in return.

  


"Dad, it's fine. I was just trying to fix-"

  


"Charlie, those springlocks-" Henry sighed, running his fingers through his graying brown hair. "...I know you want to practice, but tell me first."

  


"You were busy."

  


"Charlotte."

  


She sighed and stepped off the stage, extending the tools towards him.

  


"Just... you can watch. Please just watch."

  


Charlie opened her mouth but thought better of it- he was already in a mood. On any other day she would've protested, but a busy, rainy Saturday with six birthday parties wasn't the day. She pulled up a chair and watched him work, the urge to tinker getting stronger and stronger.

  


"That oughta do it..." Henry replaced the large mask and reactivated Mr. Hippo, whose jaw was functioning but quite laggy. "Or not." He griped.

  


"I'm going to get some breakfast," Charlie decided, admittedly miffed. I could've fixed it.

  


"Put these away first. And get me a coffee. Please." Henry held up the tools. Charlie nodded absentmindedly and took them from him, chewing on her lower lip in agitation. As she reentered the backroom, her own animatronic vaccum creation, Mr. Hugs, seemed to stare at her disapprovingly. She set the wrench and screwdriver down and switched the robot on, watching him swivel from side to side. It was a simple invention, but eventually Charlie wanted it to follow her around from table to table, entertaining kids and cleaning up pizza crumbs. Maybe then, if she proved her abilities, her father would let her maintain the robots without a hitch.

  


"I can fix them. I fixed you." She muttered to the vacuum, adjusting one of its bendable arms. Mr. Hugs just stared and swiveled until she shut him off and grabbed her favorite green sweatshirt off of a nearby workbench. It was unseasonably cold and rainy, so much so that Charlie had to pull her hood over her head. Once out in the empty parking lot, she debated driving to her longtime boyfriend's house. John's parents, especially his mom, adored her and would give her multiple helpings of whatever the family was having for breakfast.

  
She decided against it and headed towards her favorite cafe. It was going to be a ridiculously busy day on top of inventory- her father needed her. Besides, there were still a few weeks left before John moved back to school. It was best not to hound him if they were going to make it through another Thanksgiving Break with their relationship intact. As Charlie rounded the corner and crossed the street, a biting gust of wind hit her face. She cursed and hunched over, brushing a strand of brown hair out of her face. The walk to Sandy's Cafe only took about five minutes, but the wind made it seem like twenty. The chimes above the old door sounded as Charlie entered the small establishment, only removing her hood once the door was safely closed behind her.

  


"Morning, Charlie." Sandy herself beamed at the girl from behind the counter.

  


"Hey." Charlie forced a smile and wandered over to the pastry case. "...Are you out of blueberry scones?"

  


"Got a few in the oven if you can wait for ten minutes." Sandy tucked a pen behind her ear and a tendril of golden blonde hair fell down in the process. Charlie nodded and made her way to the nearby coffee pot. She grabbed a cup and poured a packet of raw sugar into it, followed by a splash of heavy cream. Her father's order was much simpler- one sugar only.

  


"Large coffee kinda day, huh?" Sandy noted, wiping down the counter underneath the espresso machine.

  


"Yeah. Inventory and a million parties..." Charlie decided to wait on adding the coffee to the cups.

"I hear ya. Got a catering order at 1 and my mid called in sick." Sandy lamanted, taking a long sip of coffee out of her own mug. "That's just business for ya." Charlie sat down at one of the small, wobbly tables next to the counter, picking at a loose thread on its pink tablecloth. The whole place was decked out with pastel colors. Lace curtains hung from the windows and soft white wall lights illuminated the cafe, giving it a teahouse-like vibe. There was only one other person in the cafe- an old man wearing a green sweater and drinking a cup of plain black coffee. Charlie reached for the day-old newspaper in the center of the table just as the door chimed again.

  


"Good morning. How can I help ya?" Sandy inquired to the newcomer. Charlie picked up the paper and skimmed the weather section, tuning out Sandy's conversation. She remained focused on the dismal 7-day forecast until she felt the table shift. The man who'd just walked in was sitting across from her, but he was looking towards the front counter. Really? Charlie glanced around at all the other tables that surrounded her. A loud, repetitive beeping noise resounded from the cafe's tiny kitchen.

  


"Looks like I goofed. Scones are ready now." Sandy disappeared and Charlie stood up, eagerly anticipating the hot treat. The owner reemerged seconds later with a pastry bag. "Threw in a cinnamon donut for your dad. Tell him not to be such a stranger, yeah? I miss talking to him."

  


"Once the kids are back in school, things will start slowing down. Then he'll be here more for sure." Charlie smiled. "Thanks, Sandy." As she gathered her coffees and turned to leave, she nearly collided with a girl entering the cafe. She muttered an apology and rushed past, not wanting to keep her father waiting any longer. As she made her way down the sidewalk, she felt as though she were being watched. She glanced over her shoulder to see that her suspicions were correct- the girl was staring after her. It was going to be one of those days.

*****************

It ended up being one of those days. Charlie found herself alone on the showroom floor after her father had locked himself in his office to finish inventory. It wasn't even 1 in the afternoon and they had two parties going on, each with at least 10 kids. She was essentially the floor manager, making sure everything was running smoothly. Well, as smoothly as possible. She looked up from the ticket machine she was refilling to see that neither party table had been bused. Huffing to herself, she walked into the kitchen to see all six waitresses standing around. They were seasonal high school hires and not nearly as reliable as Junior's few full-timers, one of which had called in sick that day.

  


"Hey guys, who has tables 5 and 12?" Charlie crossed her arms and glanced over at the chefs, some of whom appeared to be part of the banter.

  


"I have 12." One of the girls chirped.

  


"And 5?" Silence. Charlie glanced at the roster. "You guys can't be standing around. Just because Amy's not here doesn't mean you can slack off. There's plenty to clean." She was getting better at asserting herself in situations like these, but she definitely wasn't manager material.

  


"Okay. One second." Shannon, a 16-year-old sporting chunky brown highlights and pink lip gloss, jumped off the counter.

  


"No, not one second. I want everyone out on the floor now."

  


"Okay, we got it." The girls collapsed into giggles once she was gone but quickly re-assumed their places on the floor. As Charlie reentered the dining room, she caught sight of her father standing outside the front door, talking to a well-dressed man. He had one hand on the door handle and the other on his hip, nodding along to whatever was being said. She heard "Freddy's" and reflexively froze. "Freddy's" was essentially a dirty word in their household. She wandered to a nearby table to listen in, pretending to examine some drawings left behind by its former patrons.

  


"I understand," Henry was saying, "But it's out of the question."

"You're the only one who knows what makes them tick, per say. I'm willing to pay-"

  


"I'm not interested." The mechanics's voice rose. "Anybody with mechanical experience can go in there and fix what needs to be fixed."

  


"Can you at least take a look for us? We're desperate here. Nobody wants to touch the things." The man's voice was laced with desperation.

  


Henry caught a glimpse of Charlie and pulled the door shut, looking as though she'd caught him stealing from her. She gathered the drawings on the table and stalked off to get some tape. _What are you hiding from me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive feedback is always appreciated! :)


	2. One of THOSE Nights

   

    Charlie had expended the bulk of her customer service energy halfway through the night. She snagged a slice of supreme pizza from the kitchen and sauntered to her father's office, which was situated in a corridor inaccessible to guests. It was just after the employee break room, where one of the dayside security guards was lazily scrolling through his phone.  Henry was furiously typing away on his old Workstation PC when Charlie arrived in the office. She plopped herself down on an old desk chair and watched him. He was coding- something she hadn't seen him do for a long time.

       This piqued her curiosity and she scooted her wheeled chair over. 

     "Is that something for Mr. Hippo?"

      No response.  She took a bite of pizza and leaned forward.

     "Charlotte, please.  I need you out on the floor."

     There was a new hostility in his voice that took her aback. Her father only acted like this when something was wrong. _What are you hiding from me now?_ Charlie couldn't help the flash of anger that surged through her. It was bad enough that he'd lied about the diner- it was anything but destroyed. She, her boyfriend John, and their friend Marla had found it completely intact- condemned, but intact, complete with a security system. It wasn't like she didn't know why it had closed down (there had been several murders) but clearly he didn't want her snooping around. It wasn't like she didn't remember his bout of depression upon reopening Freddy's and being less than successful, or the fact that, when she was away at school, he could only manage to pawn the franchise off on some poor business graduate desperate to have a franchise under his name.

    That had to have been the mysterious man at the door. Slightly older, slightly wiser, desperate. Charlie stalked off as Henry opened his mouth to speak. She sauntered to the dining room for a soda, only to see John frantically fumbling with the controls of the Fruity Maze Game, their friends leaning against the case.

    "You want to go the bottom first," Lamar was saying, "Then you get the floaty ghost thing and-"

    "You missed the lightning bolt!" Jessica griped, "You're screwed."

    "I refuse service. Get out." Charlie grinned as she walked over to the group. All three young adults looked up in unison.

    " _There_ you are. Thought you were stuck doing dishes again." John kissed her forehead, his game forgotten. She put her plate on top of the case and embraced him, savoring the smell of his cologne.

    "Watch it, you two. This is a family place." Lamar smirked.

    "Where's Marla?" She responded in a sing-song voice.

    "She said she was too tired." He shrugged.

    "Why are you guys here?"

    "Okay," Jessica's blue eyes widened with excitement, matching her hand gestures. "Clock out, we're going bowling."

    "I can't. Dad needs me on the floor for-"

    "He's had you for the past three weekends. Come on." John smiled sheepishly.

    "But I have to-" 

    "Vacuum." Henry interrupted with a raised eyebrow. She winced.

    "I know, dad. I was just about to say that."

    "Please? John leaves in a few days-" Jessica began. John stomped on her foot.

    "A few days?" Charlie's eyes instantly stung and her boyfriend gave her a sad smile.

    "I... I decided to do that writing workshop. The one you said I should do?"

    Henry huffed.

   "She can join you in an hour. How's that?" Charlie nodded and hugged John again, successfully holding back her tears.

    "Okay. We'll be at the one in Medfield. Know where that is?" Lamar inquired. She nodded. "Aight. Have fun vacuuming." He and Jessica trotted to the front door and Henry retreated to the kitchen, leaving Charlie and John alone.

    "You're not mad, are you?"

    Her head shook no on its own. 

    "No. Just surprised. That's all."

    "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" He entwined their fingers.

    "How about letting me and Jessica win tonight?"

    "Not even for you." He sneered, his brown eyes playful. She pretended to pout and pushed him.

    "Charlotte." Henry crooked a finger at her from behind the prize counter.

    "I get off at 10, but I'll try for 9:15. Deal?"

    John nodded.

    "See ya. Don't get trampled by the kids, now."

    With that, Charlie waded through the madness on the floor, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She yanked the garbage out of the prize corner trash can before her father even opened his mouth, pushing past him. She stumbled through the kitchen and into the back alley, where her tears mixed with the unseasonably cold rain. The top of the dumpster slipped between her fingers repeatedly, making a melodic clanging sound each time it came into contact with the bin. John's departure hurt, but the way Henry had been acting lately hurt more. He was callous and distant. She hadn't seen him like this since she was a child and he'd divorced her mother.

    The trash bag slipped through Charlie's fingers and fell to the ground, dispersing its contents. She stood frustrated and sopping wet, ineffectively wiping her tears with her forearm.   

     
      "Charlie?"

    When their eyes met, Henry's face softened instantly.

    "...You can go. Get changed and see everyone."

    "But..." She kicked at a plastic prize bag.

    "Go."

    She flashed a half-smile and raced back inside to get the keys to her Blue Honda without so much as a thanks.

                ********************

    It was 9:45 by the time Charlie stepped out of the house wearing her favorite green jacket and jeans. She'd even put on a bit of mascara and some concealer to mask her raw cheeks, which were still stinging from her crying fit earlier. At least her sniffling had ceased. They'd never know.

    "Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm on my way. Bye."  She said into the cellphone balanced on her shoulder, also juggling her umbrella and keys.

    "Excuse me?"

    The 19-year-old turned around to see another young woman at the end of the driveway. She wore a long pink raincoat, matching boots, and had what appeared to be a large purse hanging off of her right shoulder. Her blonde hair was nothing short of soaked and was stuck to her thin face.

    "Can you help me? My car broke down at the end of your street and your house is the only one with lights on."

    "Umm..."  Of course there was another hitch in the day.

    "Can I use your phone?"

   "Sure." Charlie sighed, handing the red flip phone over. The woman dialed a number and retreated down the driveway. "Umm-"

Her mouth twisted in agitation as the blonde gestured for her to follow. _What now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, constructive feedback is appreciated!


	3. Blackout

"I'm Elizabeth, by the way." The young woman chirped happily.

            "...Charlie."

As the duo made their way down the alleyway, Charlie studied the young woman. She was literally skipping along, her blonde curls bouncing despite the rain soaking them. As she spoke into the phone, her voice grew shrill, almost childlike. Charlie awkwardly trotted to catch up to her, holding the umbrella over them. Elizabeth girl hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket, giving Charlie pause. The silhouette of a car appeared through the droves of rain at last-  it was a dark blue Cadillac, parked neatly by the metal barrier that marked the dead end of the alley.

A lanky man stepped out of the Cadillac, deploying a purple umbrella in the process. He was sullen in appearance, with greasy-looking brown hair and a toothy smile. _I shouldn't be here._ The whole situation was off-putting from the start, but the man's demeanor had Charlie pausing again- her feet simply wouldn't move.

    "I found someone to help us, daddy!" Elizabeth's voice took on a childlike note that took Charlie aback. 

    "I see that." The man sniggered. He had a strong accent that Charlie couldn't place. It sure didn't help his case. Charlie stood rigidly before the pair.

     "What's... what's wrong with your car?" She muttered.

    "Show her, Elizabeth." The man tilted his head in the direction of the trunk.  Charlie warily followed Elizabeth's bouncing pigtails to the back of the car.

    "Daddy says there's something wrong with the axel." She explained, "Or the tire on the right side."

   "Oh... I uh, I know how to change a tire, but you should probably..." She trailed off. The man, who she could only assume was related to Elizabeth, was coming up behind her. She could hear his sloshing footsteps. When she glanced over her shoulder, however, he was only leaning against the side of the Cadillac, watching her intently.

  "Look, I can help if it's a tire problem, but you should probably call a tow truck anyway." She looked pointedly at Elizabeth, whose hands were deep in her raincoat's pockets. She could see the outline of her red flip phone in the left one.

  "I've got a spare tire in the back." The man sauntered over and Charlie immediately moved out of his way.

  "Okay..."

  "I'll hold the umbrella while you fix it." Elizabeth chirped. _Just like you're holding my phone?_ Charlie thought, her mouth twisting in agitation.

  "Here, you jack it up and I'll get the spare." The man said plaintively.

  "Wait,D-Do I know you?" She stammered. Something was clicking in her mind, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

  "You've probably seen me around town. Small world."

Charlie nodded unconvincingly and bent down, reluctantly handing her umbrella to Elizabeth. She cranked the rusty jack with some difficulty but managed it.

  "Okay... do you have a-" She cut herself off with a surprised grunt and fell to the ground. It took a moment for her brain to register the immense pain she was suddenly feeling in the back of her head. Black spots blurred her vision and she fell backwards to see Elizabeth's accomplice looming above her, a tire iron held above his head.

  "It's a damn shame I have to do this." He sneered, "You're such a pretty one."

  Elizabeth burst into shrieking laughter. Charlie tried to shield herself with her forearm to no avail, silent tears running down her cheeks. She was frozen with shock, choking on the cry she tried to utter.

  "Make sure to send your father my regards." He sneered.  Elizabeth's laughter accompanied Charlie into darkness seconds later, but not before realization struck her. _You._

         

* * *

 

    _Thump. Thump._ Charlie's heavy eyes opened for only a second before she had to close them. The rain was falling down in droves and into her eyes. _Thump. THUMP._ The noise beside her was constant and riveting. _THUMP!_ She heard the screeching of Junior's kitchen door and managed to keep her eyes open long enough to see a silhouette in the doorway. It was animatronic-like, with defined and jointed arms and legs.  Charlie rolled over with a groan, pressed her hands against the ground and attempted to push herself up. However, she only vomited and collapsed on the asphalt  
.

One red eye came into view as she focused; the other was either black or was simply gone. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed for unconsciousness to claim her again. The pain in her head was unbearable. There was the sound of creaking animatronic joints, a hiss and then the heavy sound of work boots.

    " _What the hell?"_

    Charlie groaned again and reached towards her father's voice. She knew he'd stumbled, splashing cold rain water onto her bloodied face.

    "No no no no no...."

    She fell back into darkness but welcomed it. Darkness meant the pain was gone.

             

* * *

 

    _"Hellloooo, boys and g-girls! It's a gr-gre-great night here at J-Junior's! My name is F-F-Fr-Freddy Fazbearrrr! Let me intro-introduce you to m-my band!"_

The old robots? _Charlie stared up at the stage in awe. There they were: Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and of course, Freddy. When had her father brought them back? She was alone in the restaurant, which looked every bit like Junior's. She wandered over to the stage for a better look. I can't believe it_. _The robots weren't speaking anymore- four pairs of eyes simply studied her every move._

_"Charlotte?" Her father's voice sounded distant. She turned towards his voice and stumbled- it had turned pitch black in the split second she'd taken to turn around._

_"Dad?" She bumped against a table. "Dad!"_

_"Itttt'ss time to eaaaaaaattttt!" Chica was suddenly beside her, her mouth gaping. Charlie could clearly see the chicken's endoskeleton, a nightmarish sight. She tried to run, but her legs felt as though they were filled with cement. Everything in her told her that she needed to go to the back room. It was to the left- no, the right._

_"Arrrrrrggghhh! Come here, ya little scalawag!"Foxy chortled, sounding closer than ever before._

_"CHARLOTTE!" Her father's voice was just as close. Only a few more steps... she stumbled into the dark room and slammed the door. She saw Mr. Hugs in a nearby corner and cowered next to him; however, he'd taken on a much more sinister appearance, with a gaping mouth filled with teeth._

_"Chaarrrlliiieeeee..." A new voice cooed. It was digitized and robotic yet somehow human. Charlie  sunk to the floor and willed herself to merge with the wall. There was the sound of animatronic joints creaking and then she saw it- a golden rabbit animatronic, disheveled and broken. It stood above her menacingly, eyes glowing. Its teeth were very much visible due to the fact that the fabric around them had disintegrated._

_"CHARLIE?" There was yet another male voice that she didn't recognize. Suddenly there was a chorus of voices calling her name. As the golden rabbit reached for her, she screamed...._

* * *

 

She sat bolt upright, her throat stinging and head pounding. Her father gasped beside her and somebody else came rushing into the dark room and switched on a dim light,  walking to the other side of the bed.

    "Wait a second, WAIT A SECOND." Henry snapped. "Charlie, honey, you're okay." Tears filled her eyes as pain set in and she settled back into her pillow. Her father placed a cool hand on her forehead. The bags under his hazel eyes were more prominent than ever.

    "She pulled out her IV. We're going to have to replace it."

Charlie stared at the chipper brunette in scrubs.

"Can you give us a second? Please." Henry's voice shook. The woman reluctantly walked out of the room.

"Dad?" She rasped. Her throat was on fire.

"You're fine, baby. Just fine." He soothed. She blinked. She was in the hospital. That much she knew. She tried to speak again but only let out air.

"You're in the hospital. You... you..." He ran his fingers through his hair. Charlie racked her brain trying to remember. She remembered pain. That was it.

"I... fell?" Was that relief in his eyes?

"You were in a car accident on the way to the bowling alley. You don't remember?"

She shook her head, albeit painfully. Once again, relief flooded Henry's features.

"Okay, hon, we're just going to reset your IV. I'm Karen." The brunette in scrubs entered the room with a small tray. Henry squeezed Charlie's hand before she even asked him to. She debated telling him about the dream, but it wasn't like she hadn't had nightmares about the old robots before. But that golden rabbit was new... she winced in pain as Karen slipped a needle under her skin and then taped it in place.

"Water?" She choked. Henry handed her a cup with chips of ice. Karen laughed lightly at the dismayed expression she gave him.

"You're getting your water from that, honey." She pointed at the tube leading into Charlie's arm. "But now that you're awake, I can talk to the doctor about removing it. He gets here in about an hour. We might be able to get you some food, too." She thought for a moment. "How's your pain, on a scale of 1 to 10?"

    "10." Charlie groaned.

    "We'll get a little more morphine for you. You had quite the blow to the head."

    "Wait, what about my car?"

    "The accident totaled it, honey, I'm sorry." Henry sighed, "We'll see about getting you another one once you're feeling better."

    There was a knock on the door.

    "She's awake!" Relief danced on John's features as he entered the room.

    "Visiting hours don't start until 8." Henry said quizzically, "Except for immediate family."

He smiled sheepishly.

"Let me rephrase that. My _fiancee_ is awake!"

"You didn't." Charlie laughed to the best of her ability.  Henry raised an eyebrow and John paled.

"You'd better only be saying that."

"Dad..." Charlie groaned.

"I'm yanking your chain, kid. Just give me a head's up before the real thing, yeah?"

"Of course."

"If you don't mind, I'm going to stretch my legs a little. Maybe see if the cafeteria is open yet." Henry stood up.

"It's not. The coffee shop is, though." John smiled and took his chair.

"See you kids later."

Charlie sighed in reply. John took her hand and thoughtfully rubbed it.

"Car accident, huh?"

"I guess so. I don't remember anything." She frowned.

"It's probably a concussion, then. In severe cases, you usually can't remember the accident that caused it."

"Nooo, really?" She jibed.

"You're talking to a psych minor, honey." He reminded her with a smile. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company.

"So, I don't know if you remember this, but I _was_ going to a writer's workshop, but-"

"John..."

"You'll need someone to take care of you while your dad's at work."

"Aunt Jen will take care of me. I appreciate the offer, but you have to go to that workshop. You've been talking about it all Summer."

"I know, but-"

She put a finger to his lips. He kissed it after a moment, smiling sheepishly.

"I'll be fine. I promise."

"Okay, but I'm calling you every night and texting you every morning." He said decisively. As Charlie stared into his hazel eyes, she thought about the dream. It was still fresh in her memory, still painful. She debated telling him but thought better of it, leaning into his kiss instead. It was just a dream.


	4. In the Dark

  Charlie drifted in and out of consciousness. At one point the sun was shining through the double-paned window, but when she opened her eyes next it was pitch black outside. The 19-year-old carefully kicked her way out of the blankets that covered her and stood up. Her head protested with pain, and the black spots she'd become all too familiar with, danced in her line of sight. She winced and sat back down on the bed. God dammit. She was already tired of being helpless and waited on: she'd sent both John and her father home despite their protests. When she finally made it to the bathroom, she got a good look at herself in the mirror. Good God. Her eyes were red and puffy, her chestnut brown hair was tangled, and band aids covered her face. Some of them covered stitches; she'd been told that flying glass had sliced her face in several places. She was tempted to step into the shower, but thinking about the effort that would entail made her queasy. She elected to wash her face and comb her hair with wet fingers instead. As she tugged at a particularly knotted tangle, the door to her room opened. She waited for the cooing voice of a nurse that never came. Instead, as she stood there mid-hair pull, there was a low rumble. The reflection of flickering hallway lights danced a few feet away from her, by the bed. Nobody lingered in the doorway. Charlie blinked once, twice. There had to be a window open somewhere, sending gusty winds to shake the hanging hall lights. But the door was so heavy... The rumble filled her ears again. This time it was menacingly low, like thunder. She turned off the water and the hallway lights snapped off. They didn't fade; they just shut off, as though someone had snipped their wires with scissors. The rumble came again, this time rhythmically. It almost sounded like a laugh. The lights came back to life for a split second and she saw it- a mass of darkness that took the shape of a bear. An animatronic bear with rows of sharp teeth and red eyes. This can't be real. It's not real. Not real- not-

* * *

 

-real. Michael repeated to himself. The walls were closing in on him as he felt for the flashlight on the bedside table behind him. All it took was one click of the flashlight- why couldn't he reach it? The monster laughed again, confirming its presence directly in front of him. Michael could see its glistening teeth and a hint of rough gold skin even in the darkness that enveloped them. He got a hold of the flashlight and flicked it on, trying not to recoil at the creature's appearance alone. One click, one step back. The creature finally disappeared into its dark abode, not to be seen again until his next "episode". That was what Doctor Ray called them. "Episodes". Michael collapsed onto his bed, his lungs refusing to take air in normally. When his bearings returned to him at last, he picked up the worn journal on his bedside table. He flipped to the page featuring the creature exactly as he saw it- bared teeth, rotting golden skin, a purple top hat and matching bow tie. _IT'S ME._ He'd surrounded the creature with that phrase over and over again. Those words meant nothing to so many, but everything to Michael. He touched up one of the creature's teeth and then glanced at the discharge papers sitting on the desk under the window. Tomorrow is another day. 

* * *

 

  Charlie picked at her breakfast. She was finally hungry; but not hungry enough for a whole omelet. She barely raised her head when John walked in, his backpack hanging off of his right shoulder.  

  "Hey."

  "Hey." She was already choked up as he sat down next to her. The rain falling on the double-paned window stood in for talk.

  "I-I have something for you... Before I go." He said finally.

  Charlie forced herself to look at him. His eyes were urgent. She moved the rotating tray on her bed to the side and watched intently as he dug around in his backpack.

  "Close your eyes."

  " _Really_?" He got a genuine smile out of her at last. He nodded, matching it. She shut her eyes and let out a small gasp as he slipped a ring onto her right ring finger.

  "It's- it's a promise ring. I know it's not..." He trailed off as she examined it. It was a small ruby encrusted by even tinier diamonds. Charlie couldn't hold her tears back any longer. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

  "It's perfect." John laughed lightly.

  "Jessica and Marla helped me pick it out. Basically, when the time comes, I-I'll replace it with something else. I promise." When they parted, Charlie was surprised to see tears in his own eyes.

  "It's perfect." She repeated, dabbing at her eyes.

  "I'm sorry I can't stay any longer. I have to be on campus in three hours." John said mournfully, "But I heard you were getting discharged today. Congrats."

  "Yeah. They still want dad to wake me up every few hours, but I can finally sleep in my own bed again." He nodded and tilted her chin up with his fingers.

  "I'll text you every day."

  "When I have my new phone, that is." Charlie's red flip phone hadn't survived her accident- it was gone along with all of her contacts.

  "I'll call your house. And then the restaurant if you don't answer."

  "I love you." They kissed deeply- he bit at her lower lip softly and pushed his tongue into her mouth gradually. She broke away only when breathing became a necessity.

  "I love you too. Take care of yourself, baby." John stood up with a sigh and watched her until he disappeared out the door. She let out the sob she'd managed to keep in once she was certain he was out of earshot. The previous night had left her drugged up and reeling. She hadn't told him how it took three nurses to restrain her, or how she'd screamed continuously for ten minutes following her "hallucination". They'd practically forced some antipsychotic medication down her throat after she'd told them what she'd seen. It was a wonder that they were still discharging her. Karen, her main nurse, had attributed it to her "traumatic brain injury" and given her a long medical explanation that she couldn't even begin to understand. Her father's voice echoed down the corridor along with Dr. Kessler's.

  "Hiya, Charlie. We're getting you out of here today. How does that sound?" Dr. Kessler beamed at her despite the tears running down her face. Her father, on the other hand, was instantly concerned.

  "G-good." She stammered. "I'm.. I'm just... my head hurts."

  That wasn't entirely a lie, although her pain was only a 3 out of 10 on the pain scale Dr. Kessler loved to refer to.

  "We'll get you some Tylenol as well as a prescription for your new medication."

  "New medication?" Henry raised an eyebrow. _Crap._

  "I had a really bad dream and they gave me something to calm down." Charlie explained quickly.

  "Sometimes, with traumatic brain injuries, there's a disruption of sleep. This medication will help take the edge off." _Thanks, doc._ That was all her father needed to know. Henry looked wary nonetheless.

  "Karen will be in to remove your IV and then we'll get you out of here in the next hour. Sound good?" Dr. Kessler scribbled on her chart.

  "Yeah." Charlie tried to smile at her father to no avail. When Dr. Kessler stepped out of the room, Henry handed her the bag containing her clothes and turned away as she put them on.

  "Do you know what it's called? The medication?"

  "All I know is that it helps me sleep." She said calmly. She should've known that he'd be paranoid. He gave her the unconvinced nod that she hated with a passion.

  "I'm done." She said flatly. Karen walked in before Henry could say anything else.

  "Alright, sweetie. I have your discharge paperwork and prescription here. If you want to lie on that bed just one more time, we'll get that IV out."

   Charlie grabbed the stack of papers before her father could, studying them. _**Charlotte Emily, F, 19 Diagnosis(es): Traumatic Brain Injury, hallucinatory psychosis induced by T.B.I. Take the following medications.... If it's difficult to wake from sleep... If patient experiences suicidal thoughts, delusions, or has tendencies to harm self or others, bring to emergency department for immediate assessment.**_ As Charlie was wheeled out to the parking lot (much to her dismay), she caught sight of a pink raincoat. The young woman wearing it was holding a large ice cream cone in one hand and a purple umbrella in the other. When Charlie made eye contact, she recoiled but couldn't look away. A bus growled by but didn't stop. As her father helped her out of the wheelchair, her mouth gaped. The woman was simply gone, ice cream and all.


	5. Revelations

  The pills worked a little _too_ well. Charlie found herself groggy from the time she woke up to at least mid afternoon. It didn't help that her father woke her up religiously throughout the night to ensure that she hadn't slipped into a coma.

  "One of these days you're gonna get punched." She told him one morning as she downed her third cup of coffee.

  "I'd rather get punched than lose you, Charlotte."

  She rolled her eyes and poured the creamer. The phone rang and Henry beelined to it before Charlie could even react.

  "Hello? Yes, this is Henry." His expression instantly turned urgent and he stepped out of the kitchen with the phone, shutting the door on its cord. Charlie stirred her coffee, trying to pick up on bits and pieces of his conversation. The phone had been ringing at odd hours for the past week, and her father was constantly working late.

  "I see. Well.... No, that's normal."

  Charlie wandered towards the hallway phone.

  "Well, not that. No, see, there's supposed to be.... Docking location..."

  "That's the problem. There doesn't seem to be a docking location." A gruff voice griped on the other end of the line as Charlie carefully picked up the receiver.

  "It's the stage. They shouldn't be wandering after hours." Henry retorted.

  "Well, they are, and I keep telling you that you're the only one who can fix it. And the Mangle- erm, Toy Foxy- is impossible to keep together. The kids keep tearing it apart! Can't you do something? I'm desperate here!"

  Henry sighed deeply.

  "Look, I can come by and take a look, but no guarantees. I'm no longer associated with Fazbear Entertainment, so-"

  "But they're YOUR robots. The mechanics from corporate don't know shit. I promise that I'll pay you when I'm able to."

  "I'll be over in twenty minutes, okay? Okay."

  "Thank you! It's about damn time-"

  "You're pushing things, Greg."

  "..Bye."

  "Bye." Charlie waited until both parties hung up to put down the receiver. She strode back into the kitchen as nonchalantly as she could.

  "I have to head to Junior's early." Henry hurriedly ate a peanut-butter smeared bagel.

  "I'll come with you. I'm feeling a lot better."

  "No, you need your rest."

  "I've been resting for two weeks." Charlie lamented, crossing her arms. Henry sighed.

  "I can't leave once I'm there. If you end up not feeling well, I won't be able to bring you home."

  "I'll just call Aunt Jen."

  "Charlotte, please." Henry said sharply, "Just stay." He started for the back door. _What are you hiding from me?_ She wanted to shout. It wasn't like she didn't know about the two Freddy's locations within a thirty mile radius of where she stood. There was Freddy and Friend's, which featured the sleek, modern Toy Animatronics, and Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which featured older models. Charlie was almost certain that they were the same models from Fredbear's Diner. But ever since she'd come back from school for a gap year, her father acted as though they were Candy's Locations. She stalked away, hugging her pink bathrobe with crossed arms.

 "If you need anything-"

  "Call Aunt Jen. I know." She plopped down on the living room couch and switched on the TV. Henry came back to linger in the doorway connecting the two rooms and sighed.

  "...Put some clothes on." She leapt off the couch and triggered a bout of vertigo. Henry darted to her side but she shrugged him off.

  "I'm fine." She was running up the stairs and to her bedroom before he could change his mind.

* * *

 

  "I haven't been completely honest with you, Charlotte." _Surprise, surprise._ They had forgone the highway exit to Junior's just seconds ago and she'd feigned shock.

  "There have been some... problems... at Freddy's. With the robots."

  "Are you going to fix them?"

  "That's the idea." Henry adjusted the rearview mirror slightly. "But other people, folks from corporate, have been tampering with them. That's probably why they're screwed up in the first place."

  There was a note of anger in his voice. Charlie's stomach fluttered as she caught sight of the Freddy and Friends' massive parking lot sign. There they were- her father's "toy" creations. That was what he called them. They did look like giant toys, with their plastic exteriors, wide, manga-like eyes, and flexible joints. When they stepped inside the sliding glass doors, Charlie was instantly hit with nostalgia. The smell of pizza, plastic prizes, and birthday cake was somehow different at every Freddy's Location. She remembered this particular location fondly. She'd been in fifth grade when it had opened- her father's last attempt to revive the franchise before he'd sold it.

  "The manager's office is this way, if I remember correctly. Why don't you have a look around?" Henry smiled sadly at her. He was remembering, too. Charlie nodded and wandered towards the arcade.

  "Hi!" A child-like, robotic voice made her jump. She smiled at the small humanoid animatronic at her feet. It was designed to look like a small boy, with the iconic pink cheeks each toy animatronic had. Balloon Boy- at least, that was what her father called him- wore a red and blue striped shirt and a working propeller beanie. The robot laughed and extended his permanently- affixed balloon to her, his wide blue eyes meeting hers.

"Hi, Balloon Boy."

  She turned to the employee manning the nearby balloon cart and placed a quarter in front of him.

  "For the next kid." The teen nodded slowly and gave her a curious look. It was hard to believe that the place was struggling- there were kids everywhere. She walked past a small carousel that she didn't remember, and then through arcade games that had definitely received an update since she'd last been there.

  "Leettttttt's parttyyyyy!" A chipper voice came from one of the party rooms that lined the hallway her father had disappeared into. She poked her head around the corner to see Toy Chica and Mr. Cupcake entertaining a small group of kids. Some eagerly reached out to her while others shyly watched from afar. Charlie caught sight of one little girl holding a plushie tightly to her chest, looking like she wanted to get closer.

  "Is Chica your favorite?" She asked, bending down to the girl's level. She nodded with a shy smile.

  "She's actually a friend of mine."

  The girl's eyes widened.

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. She and Mr. Cupcake are really nice. Want to say hi?" She smiled at the girl's mom, who nodded when her daughter looked to her. Although Charlie wasn't wearing the Freddy's uniform, she was wearing a Junior's t-shirt, which had a similar aesthetic. The crowd of kids parted and she gestured to the animatronic chicken.

  "Now's your chance."

  The little girl stumbled forward and stared up at Chica, who bent down to her level.

  "H-hi, Chica."

  "Hello!" The robot chirped. The girl jumped back a little but smiled widely and patted Mr.Cupcake.

  "Charlie?" Henry waved her over. There was a rotund man standing next to him. He wore the traditional Freddy's manager uniform- a purple button up, black slacks, and a black tie. The security guards wore a similar getup, except they had to wear a badge and a company-issued hat.

  "This is my daughter, Charlie. Charlie, this is Greg."

  "Nice to meet you, Charlie." Greg had a gravelly voice that sounded as though he constantly had a frog in his throat.

  "Nice to meet you." She smiled pleasantly, although she got a strange vibe from him. He looked more like a bouncer than the manager of a children's restaurant, with a severe crew cut and untamed beard.

  "My employees could learn a thing or two from you. They don't care to engage with the little ones like that."

  "She's great with kids. They just love her at Junior's." Henry beamed. Greg nodded.

  "Anyhow, this party's almost over. If you could take a look at ol' Chica first, that would be great." 

  "I want to look around more," Charlie admitted, "If that's okay."

  "Sure, why not? If you see anyone slackin', give me a holler." Greg gave her a toothy smile. As the kids raced out of the room in droves with their parents behind them, Henry set down his tool box.

  "Can you close off this room before you leave?" 

  "Sure thing."

  "Oh, and Charlie?"

  "Yeah?"

 "Be careful."

   She nodded absent-mindedly and wandered back out to the main show floor. Just as she was about to play Midnight Motorist, she became aware of what sounded like a music box. The tune was familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

_Something, somethinggg, life seconds numbering, tick tock tick tock...._

  She followed the sound to a dim hallway with restrooms on one side. There was another door that was opened just a crack at the end of the hallway. _Parts and Service_ , proclaimed the sign. The music got louder as she approached but died down as she stepped into the cold, musty room behind the door. Her hand flew to her chest and she gasped as the automatic lights flickered on. She saw Bonnie first- at least, she could only assume it was Bonnie. His entire face was gone, leaving his endoskeleton completely visible. He was also missing an arm. Chica's jaw had been pried open, and Freddy was lying on the floor, his blue eyes staring up at her. These were the animatronics from Fredbear's- she recognized the endoskeletons right away. But then... had her father created an entirely _new_ set of animatronics for Freddy Fazbear's? The door abruptly slammed behind her and she fell against Bonnie, whose joints groaned under her weight. A pang of nausea hit her as she stood up but she fought it. She then stumbled into the heavy metal door, which wouldn't budge. The music picked up again as she pounded at it fruitlessly. Her vision started to fade. _No. No!_ She sunk down to the floor, facing the back of the storage room. As darkness closed in on her, what little focus she had left fell on a locked chest buried in the dark recesses of the storage room.


	6. The Vow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie knows her father is hiding something- and he hides it well. But Charlie is determined to find his secrets- even it means going behind his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: An update! Finally! :)

Chapter 6: The Vow 

Charlie’s eyes fluttered open. At least, she assumed they were open; it was pitch black except for a sliver of light emanating from underneath the closed door. The automatic lights in the bleak room mercifully flickered on as she stood up, her head 

pounding. She slumped against Chica’s sturdy frame, listening to the carnival-like music in the distance. It was somehow familiar and comforting, unlike the eerie music box melody that was still fresh in her memory. She hadn’t hallucinated like that since her

hospital stay- her heart was pounding in her head and she was weak in the knees. The sound of her father’s work boots against the tiled hallway floor was grating on her ears. 

“Charlie?” 

“In here.” She muttered, pressing her hand against her forehead. Henry rushed into the room, his eyes wide with fright. 

“Charlie, don’t-!” He yanked his daughter away from Chica, prompting her to yelp in pain and protest. 

“Jesus!” She exclaimed, “They’re off! How could they hurt me?” The momentary pain wore off and Charlie’s eyes narrowed. “And why are they here? You told me that they were destroyed.” 

“Charlotte, we have to go. Now.” 

“No!” The girl pulled away. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time! Why?” 

Henry’s expression softened and he reached for her, only for her to step back defiantly. 

“I was about to scrap them, Charlie, but then Scott, the investor who bought Freddy’s from me, begged me to make him new robots. To save time, I tried to retrofit these guys with new technology. Unfortunately, it was a lost cause. Remember all that  
money I had to borrow from Aunt Jen?” 

Charlie nodded slowly. 

“I used it to create the Toy Animatronics.”

“But how did you open Junior’s if the money went to building the Toys?” 

“Aunt Jen also cosigned on a loan for me, and that loan went to Junior’s. Fortunately, I’ve been able to pay it back in increments because it’s successful. I truly wish I could say the same for Freddy’s.” Henry smiled sadly. Charlie wasn’t convinced but held  
her tongue. Her father’s explanation made sense, but it also seemed very rehearsed. 

“Now, I’m about done here. Let me just tie up some loose ends with management and then we can go.” 

“Can we eat first? I feel lightheaded.” 

“I’d feel better about just getting you home if that’s the case.” Henry adjusted his glasses. 

“Please? I want to keep watching them. The Toys.” Charlie was shocked to hear the pleading in her voice. Despite the hallucinations, despite the eerie tune that now haunted her, she wanted to stay. 

“Okay.. okay.” Henry shut his eyes. “We’ll get a pizza to go, okay? You’ll have time to watch them while it’s cooking.” 

I’m going to come back. Charlie vowed internally, I’m going to come back and figure out what you’re hiding from me. As they stepped out of the backroom, Henry shut the door firmly only to have it swing open part way despite his efforts. 

“Needs a new lock, I guess.” He said miserably, “It’s not good that it won’t lock.” 

“Why?” 

No response. Henry strode purposefully down the hallway, glancing behind him to make sure she didn’t linger. The animatronics used to walk around- Charlie remembered that vividly. The door needed to be locked so that they wouldn’t wander, 

but why? She found herself getting progressively angrier. Her massive headache certainly didn’t help. As they walked back into the main party area, all of the Toy Animatronics, with the exception of Toy Foxy, were back on their stage. 

“Looks like there’s a free table over there.” Henry gestured to an empty table that was furthest away from the stage. Charlie’s agitation grew but she was feeling too sick to fight him anymore. “I’ll put in the order. Pepperoni and sausage?” 

She nodded absentmindedly and sat down at the table. The animatronics were now singing some Freddy’s-style variation of “Happy Birthday”- Bonnie strummed his guitar, Chica waved Mr.Cupcake around, and Freddy swiveled about. Charlie smiled at the

kids gathering around them, some trying to hand the characters pizza or tokens. She could feel her father’s watchful gaze even when she looked away from the ordering counter. Just as Chica started bantering again, she heard it- the music box. 

But this time it was very real. A lanky puppet animatronic, of which Charlie had very faint recollections of, was hanging out of a large white box by the prize counter. 

Why was it suddenly making her so uncomfortable?

“Excuse me… Charlie, right?” She looked up to see Greg standing next to her, a large manila folder in one of his big hands. 

“Yeah?” 

“Would you mind moving over to one of those tables? I’m interviewing this gentleman over here.” He gestured to the young man standing behind him. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” 

“Charlie...?” The interviewee said her name like a question, although he didn’t appear to be speaking to her. 

“Fritz, she’s my technician’s daughter.” Greg explained, oblivious to the fact that the guy clearly knew her. 

“Yeah.” Charlie said dumbly, standing up. “Sorry.” Nothing about Fritz was familiar to her, but clearly he recognized her. Had they gone to high school together? He was tall and somewhat muscular, with medium-length brown hair that curled around his  
ears. His blue eyes stared right through her. 

“Pizza’s gonna be ready in about five minutes, Charlie.” Henry was suddenly beside her, a large smile plastered on his face. She couldn’t tell if it was fake or genuine for once- normally she could read his expressions like a book. “You got an interview,  
Greg?” 

“Yup. This is Fritz. He’s looking to replace our current guy on the night shift ‘cause he’s moving to the dayshift in a day or two. Fritz, this is Henry, my technician.” 

“Stand-in technician, really. But nice to meet you.” Henry extended his hand and Fritz took it reluctantly, still observing Charlie out of the corner of his eye. 

“About that. We’ll chat later, Henry.” Greg’s voice was laced with desperation. 

Good, Charlie thought, keep him coming here. 

“You have my landline and my phone number.” Now Henry’s smile was completely and utterly fake. 

“Anyhow, Fritz and I are gonna sit here-”

“Of course. Come on, Charlie, let’s get out of their way.” 

“Yeah. See you, Greg.” She gave a small wave and followed her silently seething father to the to-go window. He didn’t speak again until they were back in his green Dodge Stratus. 

“I don’t care what Greg thinks. I’m not taking responsibility for these things anymore.” 

“Why?” 

“Charlotte, please.” Henry sped out of the parking lot. Charlie picked at some stray cheese that was dangling out of the white pizza box in her lap. 

“You’re the only one who knows-” 

“Charlotte, I’m done talking about it. I need to focus on Junior’s and you now. Mr. Hippo needs a new jaw, I need to hire more waiters, we need to get you a new car…” He went on but she tuned him out and reread her last texts from John. He was visiting 

for the weekend with the promise that she could stay at his house. Not that her father knew that was the plan yet. He’d be reluctant, but John would convince him. 

“Charlotte?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Did you hear me? There’s no reason for me-or you-to go back there.” 

“Yeah.” Charlie could no longer hide the exasperation in her voice. 

“I’m serious. It’s a lost cause and I have no interest in being a part of it anymore.”

“Yeah,” She acknowledged again, “I understand.” 

She slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to stare out the window. She vowed once again to go back, with or without him.


	7. Silhouette of a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hallucinations and nightmares have stopped up until today- regardless, Charlie chooses not to take her pills. What follows is a nightmare- and the silhouette of a woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT A/N: I'll be adding this to the story's tags too, but there's unintentional self-harm in this chapter. Yes, unintentional, but it's still self-harm. Be aware. :)

Charlie both pondered and loathed the two small blue pills in her hand. Her boyfriend was arriving early the next morning to prolong their time together- if she took the pills, she’d be disoriented and cranky. If she didn’t, she’d be disoriented and paranoid.

At least, she assumed that would be the effect. She hadn’t been without them since before she’d started taking them. She put the pills back in the bottle and strode defiantly back to her room, closing her door but not locking it. If she did, her father would pound on it until she got up. Much to her surprise, her eyes grew heavy after just a few minutes of lying down. She pulled the quilt around her body, excitement for the next day building in her mind. Despite the lack of medication, she fell into a deep sleep, only waking up when she felt her father shaking her. 

“Charlotte?” 

“Mmmf.” She acknowledged, looking up at him with glazed eyes. 

Henry stroked her forehead with his thumb and then left as quickly as he’d arrived. It took her a few minutes to relax again, but she fell into another dreamless state. She wasn’t sure how long she’d slept when she woke up next- her digital clock was flashing 2:01 repeatedly. Rain was falling roughly against her window and thunder shook the house’s foundation- storms like this were common in Hurricane and had inevitably knocked the power out. Thinking nothing of it, she rolled over just as the door creaked open. 

“Yup.” She said automatically. There was no response, only soft footsteps. He was probably going to shine his mini flashlight to verify that she was indeed conscious. Charlie braced herself for the light that never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to see the darkened outline of her father. At least, she assumed it was her father. 

“Dad, it’s okay-” She picked up her cellphone and flipped it open. The backlight didn’t reveal Henry- it revealed something far more sinister. It was a yellow animatronic with a gaping jaw and a torn chest cavity. Whatever it was, it recoiled when struck by 

light. She heard the haunting melody of the music box yet again, and with a flash of lightning the creature was gone. Charlie didn’t realize she was hyperventilating until her chest started to hurt. Kicking the covers off, she made a beeline to the bathroom, her phone’s screen serving as light. 

She fumbled through the medicine cabinet fruitlessly, her shaking hands knocking down everything she touched. She found the bottle at last but only succeeded in spilling its contents all over the tiled floor. Then she saw it out of the corner of her eye-

_It’s me_. The words were scribbled all over the walls in an ink-like substance, fluctuating between a large font and a small one. The hallway window shattered-she heard it and felt the rush of wind and rain fill the house. There was the terrible sound of howling wind, and then skittering sounds. Pieces of paper were covering every square inch of the hallway and bathroom floor, caught in a vicious updraft. Charlie closed her eyes and stumbled into the hallway and pressed her face against the cool

smooth surface of the wall, hoping it would turn into her pillow. 

The papers began slicing at her flesh, leaving microscopic cuts and stinging her. She remained pinned against the wall but opened her eyes, shielding them with her forearm. She became aware of the silhouette of a woman looming by the window, her features blurred and skin chalk white. Somehow, her first instinct was to walk towards the woman. The papers swarmed her as she pushed forward towards the window. 

“Charlotte? Charlotte!” In the blink of an eye, the hallway brightened and Charlie was standing with her hands gripping the windowpane. She whirled around to see her father, frantic but tentatively walking towards her. She could feel a cool breeze licking her face- the window wasn’t smashed but was wide open. The papers were nowhere in sight. After steadying her and pulling her away from it, Henry slammed it shut. Charlie covered her ears, her pounding headache returning. 

“Jesus, you were sleepwalking…” Her father turned to her. “Are you-” He frowned. She winced when he touched her face- and then looked down at her blood-covered fingernails. Henry opened his mouth but closed it again as they both put two and two together. 

“Charlotte…” 

She threw herself into his arms a blubbering mess, and he was quick to embrace her and stroke her hair as he’d done when she was a child and needed comfort. 

“Come on… let’s get you back to bed.” He guided her back down the hallway and into her room, where she immediately buried herself in her sheets. “Stay put. I’m going to clean those…” 

Charlie stared at Theodore on his chair through glazed, blurry eyes. She wanted to grab him but her body refused to move. 

“Hey, come on, sweetie.” Henry gently coaxed the covers off of his daughter and gently tended to a cut with an iodine-soaked cotton ball. “Do you remember doing this?” 

“No.” Charlie choked. “I was having a nightmare- I mean, I saw…” She trailed off. 

“You saw what?” Henry paused to soak another cotton ball. 

“I don’t remember.” She lied. She had to tread carefully- if she said the wrong thing she’d inevitably end up in the hospital, this time in the psych ward. The initial shock wore off and the cuts started stinging relentlessly. Henry sighed and picked up one of her bloodied hands. 

“...I should take you in.” 

“No!” Charlie screeched, startling both of them. A heavy silence filled the room. “...I mean, no. John’s coming and I can’t be in the hospital.” 

“Charlotte, you’re not safe.” Henry stood up. “We have to find out what happened here.” 

“I had a nightm-” 

“Charlotte-!” 

“I didn’t take my pills, okay? They make me sleepy and I wanted to be awake for John.” 

“Charlotte,” Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t do that. You have to take them.” 

“I’m sorry, okay?” Charlie resumed her position under her covers. She could feel her father’s gaze drilling into the back of her head before he sighed deeply and stood up. 

“I’m going to have to watch you take them now. I hope you understand that.”

She didn’t reply and curled up into the fetal position. She heard him rocking on his heels for a minute before he continued. 

“And you’re taking them right now.” 

She sobbed as he made his way to the bathroom- she wasn’t sure if the mess she’d made was real or not- but given how long it took him to return, it was most definitely real. 

“Charlotte.” She heard the soft clank of a glass being set on her bedside table. With a loud sigh, she sat up and yanked the offending pills out of her father’s hand before washing them down. 

“Now I’ll sleep until 4 in the afternoon.” 

Henry ignored her and made his way to the door. 

“Goodnight, Charlotte. I love you.” 

" **Goodnight.** ” Charlie said in a whisper, anger surging through her. Before the pills could take a hold of her, she pulled Theodore off of his chair and hugged him against her. Even when she was mad at her father, the stuffed rabbit he’d created for her was a source of comfort. 

 

Charlie woke up to a gentle tug on her hair. A smile stretched across her face and she rolled over to see her longtime boyfriend. 

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” He said softly. She threw her arms around him, taking in the scent of his cologne and savoring the feeling of his weight against her. 

“What time is it?” She inquired, her voice muffled by his red dress shirt. 

“About 2 o’clock.” 

Charlie pulled away immediately. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t hear my alarm go off!” She sat up. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Your dad said that you had a nightmare last night.” 

“...Did he tell you anything else?” 

John’s smile turned into a frown as he reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“About… my face?” She whispered. He shook his head. 

“What happened?” 

Charlie sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. 

“I don’t know what happened. I was dreaming about papers blowing in my face and cutting me, but I guess I scratched myself.” Tears pricked her eyes. 

“Hey.” John sat up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s a common thing to have nightmares after trauma… I’d say your accident was pretty traumatic.” A rainy night suddenly flashed into her mind, along with a car and two dark figures. _The accident_. 

“It wasn’t a car crash.” 

“What?” 

Charlie squinted. 

“That night. I don’t remember getting in my car. Something happened. I-” There was a knock on the door. 

“Come in…” Charlie said, albeit reluctantly. Henry walked in, bearing a cup of orange juice and a piece of toast on a plate. 

“See? You didn’t sleep until 4.” He smiled and set the food on her bedside table. She gave him a look as she picked up the toast and took a bite. 

“My pills make me really sleepy even during the day.” She explained to John, who nodded in understanding. 

“I’m heading to Junior’s to fix Mr. Hippo’s jaw and conduct a few interviews. Did you kids want to come with?” 

Charlie nodded automatically and then turned to John for approval. He shrugged. 

“No plans yet, but Lamarr wants to hang out tonight.” 

“Okay. You eat and get dressed. I’ll be waiting in the living room.” Henry left with a small smile and John looked at her quizzically once the door closed. 

“You want to go to Junior’s? That’s a first.” 

“Dad’s fixing Mr. Hippo, and I want to prove to him that I can do it too.” She took a big bite of toast. “Besides, I want to try and beat the Fruity Maze.” 

“Hope you have a million quarters. We always run out of time.” 

“It’s just a matter of getting the right power ups at the right time.” Charlie shrugged. 

“That’s what Lamarr says, and you’ve seen how well that works out for him.” 

“Well, I’m going to get dressed, and my dad’s going to have coronary if you're in here.” She smiled, quickly finishing off the toast. 

“You’re saying he doesn’t suspect that we-” 

“Nope. And it’s staying that way.” 

“Wow, he’s slow.” 

She pushed him with a smile. 

“Out.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

They arrived at Junior’s a half-hour later, and Charlie watched in excitement as her father polished off Mr. Hippo’s new lower jaw in the backstage area. 

“Close the curtains on his stage. We don’t want to traumatize the kids.” 

“On it.” Charlie jogged back onto the main floor. John looked up at her from one of the tables, raising his plastic soda cup in a toast. She stuck her tongue out at him and stepped onto the stage with Mr. Hippo, who was already switched off. She drew the curtains and removed the “Out of Order” sign from the side table drawer beside him. Unlike the wooden bench that was just a prop, the side table was functional. As Charlie stepped off the stage and went to rejoin her father, she became aware of a teen standing by the main show stage, where Happy Frog, Orville, and Pigpatch were idle. The girl was the only one watching them- the kids in the one birthday party they had lost interest and were running around the arcade. 

The girl was sporting blond pigtails and wore a tight black tank top that was tucked into the knee-length red tutu she wore. She had a camera- Charlie became aware of that when the flash filled the main show area. She was instantly hit with a sense of dread,although she didn’t know why. As she approached the girl, she felt somebody watching her out of the corner of her eye. _Fritz_.


	8. Shocked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much for the support on this story, I truly appreciate it. :)

Chapter 8: Shocked 

 

Charlie wasn’t sure who to approach first- Fritz, who was watching her intently, or the oblivious teen girl by the stage. It was possible that she was a part of her younger sibling’s party and taking pictures, so she chose the latter. Fritz was leaning against the prize counter, looking He gave her a small smile as she approached, but she remained stoic, crossing her arms in a similar fashion.

“Can I help you?” 

“Yes. I need to speak with your father- erm, Mr. Emily.” 

Charlie squinted, noticing his British Accent for the first time. He was still clad in the Freddy’s security uniform: a purple button down shirt with black slacks. The only thing missing was the black hat. 

“...Why?”

“You see that girl over there?” The security guard gestured to the teen girl, who was now taking closeups of Orville. 

“What about her?” 

“She works for someone who’s in the business. A competitor of sorts.” Fritz picked up a tangled slinky from the prize demo box and examined it. 

“First off, my dad is busy. Second of all, you can’t-” 

“I can wait.” Fritz said nonchalantly, tugging at two tangled rings on the slinky. Charlie glanced at John, who was watching and listening intently. 

“...You can’t be here.” 

“Why? Because I work at Freddy’s? It’s your father’s franchise, isn’t it?” 

She laughed lightly and with exasperation. 

“Are you serious?”

“Very.” Fritz managed to untangle the slinky and carefully placed it back in the box. “He’s the only one who knows about those robots. Their… glitches.” 

“Glitches?” 

“You didn’t notice the stuttering and that weird lock-up thing they do when an adult gets close?”  

“Those aren’t glitches. Not the lock-up thing, anyway. They have facial recognition.” 

Fritz raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah. These guys have it too. If they register someone suspicious, they freeze.” 

“So  _ every _ adult is suspicious? Why?”

Charlie had to shake her head to get her train of thought moving again. 

“You’re imagining things.” 

“I’m imagining  _ that?”  _ Fritz looked to the stage. Charlie turned and froze. All three of the Mediocre Melodies were staring in their direction. The girl in the tutu was staring, too. Her green eyes were large and staring into Charlie’s very being. She recoiled and the girl smirked, slipping her pink camera into her pocket before walking towards the duo. At this point John stood up, approaching them at an even more fervent pace. Then the restaurant went dark. The lights fizzled out and there was a loud buzzing sound- it sounded like a million angry bees. 

The kids attending the birthday party screamed along with the girl as she fell to the floor, clutching her chest. Charlie almost didn’t realize that she’d fallen as well- it felt like she’d been hit in the head with a board. The lights flickered back on within a few seconds and Henry raced out of the backroom, wrench in hand. 

“Hey… hey!” John was by Charlie’s side immediately, slinging her arm around his shoulders.  She could see her father through the haze of pain, staring at the girl. He did nothing to help, looking plaintive but stoic. Once Charlie had steadied herself, she looked to Fritz- at least, she looked to where he’d once stood. He was gone. Henry slipped his wrench into his back pocket before rushing to Charlie. 

“I’ve got Charlie. Help  _ her _ .” John said urgently, gesturing to the struggling young woman in front of him. His words fell on deaf ears- Henry remained fixated on his daughter. In the midst of all the chaos, the Mediocre Melodies burst into song- Charlie had never seen them perform with such vigor and energy. A parent from the birthday party rushed over to assist the other fallen girl, but she held up her hand. She stumbled forward as she stood up, looking pale and frazzled. 

“Are you okay?” John inquired after helping an equally dazed Charlie onto a chair. 

“Fine.” The girl’s voice was shrill and frantic, but her expression was mask-like. 

“Just a little power outage.” Henry called over to the birthday partygoers, “Everything’s on me today, I’ll comp everything.” 

Charlie buried her face in her hands, her head throbbing and flashes of light exploding in front of her eyes. Despite her pain, she was energized- it felt as though she’d had several shots of espresso. When she opened her eyes, the girl was running for the door, her blond pigtails bouncing.  _ What the hell was that?  _ Charlie rubbed her eyes and watched as she retreated, stumbling every few steps. Then, everything faded to black. 

 

_ She was sitting on the black and white tiled floor, crayons and paper sprawled around her. Theodore was slumped against the nearby wall, facing the stage. Charlie heard the whirring of animatronic parts and glanced up at the yellow bear and rabbit that stood there. No show yet; they were simply flexing their endoskeletons in order to keep from freezing up. She went back to her drawing, which happened to be of the pair. The diner was crowded, with kids constantly running from one end to the other.  _

_ “Charlie?”   _

_ The girl looked up to see a blond woman wearing a floral dress. A small, tearful little boy stood behind her, clutching a plush that resembled the golden bear onstage.  _

_ “This is ….”  _

_ Charlie didn’t catch the boy’s name- there was a loud bang somewhere in the kitchen.   _

_ “...He wants to color with you.”  _

_ She nodded with a smile and scooted over. The boy reluctantly sat down next to her, still clutching his bear to his chest. Satisfied with the girl’s acceptance of the other child, she smiled and left.  _

_ “Hi.” Charlie gathered some of the crayons on a blank sheet of paper and gingerly pushed it towards the other child.  _

_ “..Hi.” He looked down at her drawing. “..It’s Fredbear.”  _

_ “Yeah! I’m drawing springy Bonnie, too!” She pulled Theodore over by his purple foot. “My daddy made me this one. But he’s purple.”  _

_ “I like him.”  _

_ She managed to get a smile out of the boy, who set his own toy down by the paper she’d given him. The two sat in silence, scribbling away.  _

_ “...They’re kind of scary.” The boy said out of the blue. Charlie nodded in understanding. She’d seen the robots without their fabric suits on many times, but the endoskeletons never failed to give her nightmares in some form. “...Mommy says I can’t watch the TV show anymore because it scares me. The one with the chicken, the fox, the bear, and the bunny.”  _

_ This revelation gave Charlie pause- the _ Fred Bear and Friends _ show broadcasted on the local access network couldn’t be more cutesy. A local animator had jumped at the opportunity to work with her father. He had ideas for all new robots- he was always excitedly talking to her about them. Their prototypes were sitting in the garage already.  _

_ “Sometimes I have dreams that they-” the boy started.  _

_ “Yoink!”  _

_ Charlie looked up to see an older boy holding Theodore by one of his fabric arms.  _

_ “Hey! That’s mine!” She immediately stood up as the boy cowered, grabbing his Freddy plush.  _

_ “Yeah, that’s hers!” Another boy mimicked, forcefully removing the Freddy plush from the other child. The first boy had a frizzy blond mullet, while the other had medium-length brown hair that curled around his ears. They both had character masks that resembled her father’s future show cast on the back of their heads.  Charlie leaped for Theodore, but his captor simply raised him higher.  _

_ “Stop!” Tears pricked her brown eyes.  _

_ “Yeah, stop! She’s gonna cry!” The brown-haired boy quipped, “Just like ….” Spring Bonnie and Freddy began to sing, drowning out Charlie’s protests and the other boy’s sobs. She made eye contact with him just as the two animatronics reached the chorus of their special birthday song… _

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Charlie. Charlie!” 

Charlie’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name, which was being spoken urgently. John was hovering over her, his brown eyes full of fear and worry. 

“She’s okay. It’s okay.” Her father said calmly. It took Charlie a minute to register her surroundings- she was in the back room, laying on the tiled floor with a bundle of fabric supporting her head. “Get her some water.” Henry demanded of John, who nodded and headed back onto the floor, albeit reluctantly. 

“Does your head hurt?” Her father asked softly, stroking her forehead. 

“Yeah.” She said miserably, covering her eyes with her forearm. She heard John return with the water a few seconds later. 

“Hey… can you drink this for me?” He said gently, coaxing her to sit up. Charlie instantly winced in pain, pressing her hand to her forehead. Headaches were now commonplace for her but the pain never faded, not even after several weeks of recovery. John guided the plastic cup to her lips and she relaxed as the cool liquid filled her mouth. “...How bad is it?” He inquired in a whisper. Charlie exhaled. 

“Not any worse than before.” She made sure to make eye contact with her father. He was clearly unconvinced, glancing down at the floor. 

“What… what was that?” She whispered, “That… buzzing? The lights?”

 “A power surge.” Henry looked down and chewed on his bottom lip. 

“Yeah, but…” She saw the girl collapsing and seizing on the floor.  _ It hurt her.  _

 

“...I have to stay and tie up some loose ends, but you need to rest.” Henry smiled and turned to John. “I trust that you can take care of her?” 

“Always.” Her boyfriend smiled back. “We can have a movie night if you’re up for it, Charlie. I’ll just tell Lamarr to meet us at my place instead of the bowling alley.” 

Charlie nodded and took the cup from him. 

“That would be great. I’ll just sleep over.” 

“Okay...just make sure you stop by the house, Charlie. You need your pills.” Her father reminded her with a small smile. 

Charlie was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t object to her staying with John; granted, she was 19, almost 20. 

“We can go whenever you’re feeling better.” John said, playing with a strand of her brown hair. 

“We can go now.” She smiled and reached for his hand. He was quick to help her up, entwining their fingers. 

“Just please…” Henry crossed his arms. “Please call me if you’re not feeling well.”

“I will.” Charlie hugged him. “I promise.” 

As she and John walked out of the restaurant, she turned to look at the Mediocre Melodies one last time. They were still performing with vigor. 

“...You sure you’re okay?” John squeezed her hand. 

“The power surged, but…” 

“But what?” They stepped out into the parking lot. It was cloudy and cool- they rushed to his grey sedan. 

“That noise…” She remembered it from somewhere, like she did the melody of the music box. 

“Yeah.. that was pretty loud.” John opened the passenger side door and made sure she was situated before going to the driver’s side. 

“It wasn’t just loud. I’ve heard it before.” She gazed at him as he backed out of the parking lot. 

“Where?” 

“I don’t know…” She turned to stare out the window. She remembered Fredbear’s Diner- had she hallucinated it while she was out? She was remembering details she hadn’t thought of in years, but she still couldn’t place the sound. 

“Instead of a movie night… we should still go out.” 

“You sure?” John pulled up to a stoplight and looked at her skeptically. Charlie nodded slowly. 

“...Where to?” 

“...Fredbear’s.” 

The car lurched forward as John slammed on the brakes. The light was green, but he stopped just as quickly as he’d accelerated. The car behind them honked and he sped forward, only to pull over seconds later. 

“You saw the security system last time. There are literal trip wires all over.” 

“Then we go to Freddy and Friend’s. The old robots are all there.” 

“What?” 

“I saw them the last time my father had a maintenance call. They weren’t scrapped.” 

“The ones from the diner? Fredbear and Spring Bonnie?” 

“No. Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Freddy. The original models that came after Fredbear and Spring Bonnie.”

“You said they were scrapped.” John’s brown eyes were wide. 

“I _ thought _ they were. My dad lied and then claimed they were there due to a botched retrofitting attempt.” Anger rose up in Charlie again. “He was there last time to fix some kind of “docking issue” with the Toy robots. I think that means they wander at night.” 

“...That’s...creepy…” 

“I think the old models might, too. My dad literally  _ yanked  _ me away from Chica when I was close to her.” 

John tapped the steering wheel a few times with his thumbs, his mouth twisting in thought. 

“Okay. We all go to Freddy and Friend’s.”

“And find a place to hide so we can stay there past close. I need to see these docking problems for myself.”

“What, think you can fix them?” John jibed. She shot him a look. “...That was mean. Sorry.” 

Charlie pulled out her phone. 

“I’ll call everybody.” 


	9. Errors Until Dawn

                                                                                        

 

“Why are we doing this instead of bowling again?” Jessica crossed her arms as she got out of John’s car. 

“Charlie’s feeling nostalgic again.” John said simply, “Besides, there are arcade games here.” 

“Yeah, _rigged_ arcade games.” Carlton smirked. John walked in front of the group. 

“Charlie and I will get a table- you guys wait for Marla and Lamarr.” 

“Alright. Make sure you get the deluxe party package.” Carlton smirked, “It comes with 200 tokens.” 

“I thought you said the games were rigged.” Charlie giggled. 

“Yeah, but they’re still fun. I think.” 

She shook her head and grabbed John’s hand as he walked into the restaurant. There were only two tables of kids, and they were in the main showroom. It was about an hour and a half before close, and the acne-ridden teenage boy at the host stand gave John and Charlie a surly look as they approached. 

“Hi. Party of six, please… the deluxe party package?” 

“We don’t do party packages after 8 unless you have a reservation.” The boy said flatly before sipping some soda from a Freddy’s cup. 

“Okay… can we just get a table and some tokens then?”

“Sorry, we don’t take walk-ins after-”  

“Whoa! Wait a sec!” Greg rushed over. “Charlie? What brings you here?” 

“Oh, uh… it’s… uh…” She stammered, “I just…” 

“It’s her birthday.” John said quickly. 

“Aren’t you a little old to be celebrating here?” The teen beside him raised an eyebrow and smirked. Greg pushed him aside. 

“Nonsense! Freddy’s is for ALL ages. Besides, you’re still a part of the Fazbear Family.” 

Charlie and John laughed lightly and exchanged glances. 

“One deluxe party package, comin’ right up! Did you have a particular animatronic in mind?” 

“What?” John raised an eyebrow and Greg laughed. 

“Every deluxe party package comes with an animatronic. They’ll perform exclusively for your party!”  

“Bonnie.” Charlie said immediately, “Toy Bonnie.”

“Ah! Great choice!” Greg turned to the flustered teenager beside him. “Take ‘em to party room 1, Phil.” 

Phil sighed and picked up two large plastic cups of Fazcoins from behind the host station. 

“Right this way.” He led the couple through the main dining room and into one of the smaller party rooms. “Here it is. Plates, cups, and napkins are right there, each member of your party can take a plastic figurine home, and your waitress will be with you shortly to take your pizza order. Happy birthday and have a Faz-tastic time!” He set the plastic cups down on top of the menus in the middle of the table. 

“Thank you.” John tried and failed to hold back a laugh. Phil gave him an annoyed glare before turning and heading out of the room. 

“That was… something.” Charlie commented, pulling out a metal folding chair. 

“Wait a sec.” John picked up a foil party hat and placed it on her head, ensuring the elastic chin strap didn’t snap against her skin. “ _Now_ you’re the birthday girl.” 

“Why is it _my_ birthday? Yours is in two weeks.” 

“I couldn’t think of anything!” John sat down next to her and unfolded a torn menu. 

“Damn, it’s your birthday? I woulda brought you something!” Marla chirped from the archway. Lamarr, Jessica, and Carlton were in tow behind her. 

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Lamarr sat down and put on a hat of his own. “We _all_ used to have our parties at Freddy’s.” 

“Perks of knowing the owner’s daughter.” Jessica giggled, “I remember that all the kids in our class would be extra nice to Charlie whenever their birthdays were coming up.” 

Charlie was laughing genuinely for the first time in weeks, and it felt great. 

“Hi, I’m Kayla. I’ll be your server tonight.” A perky, blond waitress entered the room, bearing a serving tray loaded down with six waters. “Our specials tonight are Foxy’s Triple Pepperoni Pizza and Chica’s Cupcake Mocktail. Otherwise all of our appetizers are half off. Can I start you off with some cheese bread?” 

“We’ll take all of the above.” John smiled. 

“Yeah, and can we get a pitcher of that mocktail?” Carlton interjected. 

“Okay! I will put that in for you right away. You’re free to head on over to the arcade, but your animatronic performer will also be here shortly.” Kayla chirped. Charlie watched as she practically pranced out of the room, wondering how much Greg was paying her. 

“I gotta get her number.” Carlton commented once she’d left. 

“Dude, jailbait.” Lamarr smirked, “I think she was a freshman when we were all seniors.” 

“I’m gonna head to the arcade. Anybody else?” Jessica picked up one of the heavy token cups. 

“Wait. Before anyone goes anywhere, we need a plan.” Charlie reminded her friends. John nodded. 

“Everyone sit down- we have to be quiet about this.” 

“Oh, that’s right. We’re spending the night inside germy playground equipment.” Marla winced. “That’s the only viable hiding place _I_ see.” 

“There’s the ballpit.” Carlton sat down and leaned forward. “Some of us could bury ourselves.” 

“No… it’s too shallow. I remember.” Charlie shook her head. 

“These tablecloths are pretty long.” Jessica noted, “ We could sneak into one of the other party rooms once we’re done here. They might change this one at the end of the night.” 

“That’s good, but at least one of us is going to have to be a scapegoat. If none of us leave after paying the bill, they’ll be onto us.” John pointed out. 

“Lamarr and I will pay the bill and leave.” Marla volunteered, “Then y’all can let us back in once the door is locked.” 

“Go around back so that we don’t trip the security system out front.” Charlie added. 

“Great! We have a plan! Game time!” Carlton picked up a cup of tokens. “Come on, Jessica!” 

“Wait!” Charlie held up her hand. “The nightguard. We all have to make sure we’re hidden before he gets here. He usually arrives around 11:45, if things are still the same way I remember them.” 

“Okay. We eat, play games, watch the show… and then at 9:55 Lamarr and Marla will take care of the bill. Charlie and I will go into one of the other party rooms, and Carlton and Jessica will stow away in the playground tunnels. Then, at about 11, give or take, Charlie will let Lamarr and Marla back in. Got it?” John whispered. Everyone nodded in agreement. “Okay. _Now_ it’s game time!” 

Before anyone could move, there was the metallic clanking of animatronic footsteps out in the hallway. Toy Bonnie arrived, red guitar in hand. 

“It’s t-time to rock!” His boisterous animatronic voice echoed throughout the whole restaurant. 

“Yeaahhh, I’m gonna go.” Jessica ducked out of the room, Carlton following closely behind her. A large smile stretched across Charlie’s face. 

“Hi, Bonnie.” 

The blue rabbit immediately looked in her direction as Marla and Lamarr took their seats. He just stood there a second before focusing in on her. 

“H-hello! It’s a wonderful n-night here at Freddy and F-F-Friends!” So far, so good. He hadn’t frozen up. Fritz had been out of his mind. “I-I have a very special song j-just for you!” The four young adults sniggered as the rabbit burst into a surprisingly stutter-free birthday song. 

“Thank you, Bonnie.” Charlie giggled when it was over. 

“High f-five!” The animatronic held up his motorized paw. John obliged, and Bonnie froze. 

“Uh… high five?” John hit his paw again. Marla burst into laughter. 

“Guess he doesn’t like _you_.”

 Lamarr struck the rabbit’s paw this time. No response. 

“He’s frozen.” 

Charlie tried- still nothing. 

“Alllriigghhht, I have your apps and drinks right here….” Kayla sang as she reentered the party room, bearing a blue plate and a clear pitcher filled with fizzy pink liquid. “Oh, is he frozen again?” She set the food down and moved to flip the switch situated behind one of the blue rabbit’s ears. 

“Stop!” Charlie exclaimed. Kayla froze and looked at her quizzically. 

“What? I’m resetting him.” 

“That’s not the reset switch. That’s the roaming switch. The reset switch is underneath his mask. On the endoskeleton.” 

“..Greg told me to flip this switch.” It was no wonder that the animatronics were in constant need of repairs- Greg was having his staff hit random buttons. Charlie stood up. 

“Well, he’s wrong. Triggering the roaming switch when they’re frozen only puts them into night mode. It sends them back to the docking location.” 

“What? No it doesn’t.” _Docking issues._

“...Don’t hit that switch.” 

Kayla lowered her hand and Charlie sat back down. 

“...Give him a minute or two. He’ll-” 

“Welcome to Freddy and Friends’!” Bonnie chortled a few seconds later. Charlie smiled knowingly at the other girl, and was relieved to see her smile back. 

“Can you let Greg know so that you and the other staff aren't pressing random buttons anymore? They’ll break and glitch a lot less if their roaming switches aren’t triggered all the time.” 

“Can do. I’ll be back with your pizza soon.” The waitress turned and walked out of the room. 

“Wow, Einstein. Pretty impressive.” Lamarr patted her on the back. Charlie shrugged and poured herself a glass of the mocktail. 

“I remember my dad working on these guys. I couldn’t fix them myself, mainly because he won’t let me, but I know the basic logistics.” She explained as Bonnie wandered out of the room, picking up on the childrens’ laughter in the main showroom. “Like that, right there. They walk towards noise and laughter.”

“I’m not sure if that’s creepy or cool.” John remarked, taking a piece of cheese bread. 

“It’s going to be a little creepy tonight- they’re not docking properly. They’ll be wandering and attracted to any sound we make.” 

“...Docking?” Marla questioned. 

“They should be going to their stage at night and staying there. That’s how my dad designed them. The ones over at Freddy Fazbear’s still wander at night, but they’re older and need to otherwise their servos will lock up.” 

“Yeah, those games are rigged.” Jessica remarked as she and Carlton returned, each holding a small handful of tickets. “Our first token cup is half empty and this is all we won.” 

“The prizes aren’t that great anyway- there’s the grand prize that the puppet thing holds in that package, but everything else is lame.” Carlton added. 

“What _is_ the grand prize?” John wondered aloud. The four teens turned to Charlie for their answer. 

“Oh, it’s an old Freddy Plush- a golden one. One of the originals from the diner. It’s 5,000 tickets so nobody has won it. I think.” 

“That’s… actually pretty cool.” Jessica admitted. 

“Not really. I have one just like it somewhere. A golden Bonnie plush, too.” Charlie said nonchalantly. “I mean, I guess they’re rare now, but I don’t know who would actually want them. Anyway…” She pushed the cheese bread to the center of the confetti-covered table cloth. “We better eat now- we’ll be here all night.” 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Why did we have to hide in _here?”_ John whispered to Charlie, “That noise is driving me crazy.” He gestured to the pink and white Fox Animatronic on the floor a few feet away. It was emitting an awful static sound that sounded like a broken modem. 

“This room was the first one they cleaned. Besides, Toy Foxy is the only animatronic that can’t move.”

“What makes you think that?” 

“Look at it. The kids just tear it apart over and over again- it _can’t_ move.” 

“But-” 

John clapped his hand over his mouth as an employee- most likely Greg, walked into the room to look it over. The only thing Charlie could see was black shoes and slacks. 

“They sure did a number on ya today, Foxy.” It was Greg alright- she’d recognize that baritone voice anywhere. Charlie winced as he kicked the robot, producing a metallic clanging sound. “We gotta fix that voicebox, too. Better call Henry.” John and Charlie exchanged panicked glances- if her father found out that she was here, it was all over. She hadn’t planned for _that._

 _Fuck._ She mouthed to John, who cringed. 

“Hi, Henry. It’s Greg. I was wondering if you could swing by tomorrow and fix Foxy’s voice box- parents have been complaining about the static. Give me a call when you get this. Bye.” 

Charlie exhaled as the rotund man exited the room and clicked his flip phone shut. 

“That. Was close.” She whispered, “Hopefully he keeps ignoring his calls.” John nodded in agreement. “What time is it?” 

He looked at his watch. 

“Almost 11. One he leaves we should be good- somebody already mopped the floors. In the meantime…” He planted a kiss on her jawline. She captured his lips immediately and leaned against the stand that held up the table. The lights were switched off just as things were getting heated, but the couple barely noticed. 

“Wait… Marla and Lamarr.” She panted as he peppered her neck with kisses. 

“Damn, that’s right. Carlton and Jessica are still up in the playground tunnels waiting for our cue.” 

Charlie poked her head out from under the table.

“All clear.” She crawled out from her hiding spot and helped him stand up. Toy Foxy’s one good eye followed their every movement. “God, that is _creepy_.” 

“You’re absolutely sure it can’t move?” John said tentatively.

“Positive. Now let’s go.” Charlie confidently stepped into the darkened corridor- at first. “Damn. I forgot the flashlight in your car.” 

“Just use your phone. We’ll figure it out when we let Marla and Lamarr in.” 

The couple wandered to the main show area, Charlie shining her backlight onto the tiled floor. The three main animatronics were onstage and idle- for now. 

“Okay. They shouldn’t move as long as we’re quiet.” She reminded her boyfriend, “Slow and steady.” 

“I’ll find Jessica and Carlton. You head to the back.” He whispered. Charlie nodded. “Be careful around Balloon Boy. He might start laughing if you walk past him.” 

“Got it.” They parted ways. Charlie swallowed hard as she passed the prize counter with the eerie music box- the puppet was inside for the night, at least. When she walked into the kitchen, the automatic lights flickered on. She jumped and glanced around, praying that management still hadn’t installed a camera. She recalled that it was next to impossible to see people- or robots- on the security cameras at night unless the built-in flashlights affixed to the top of them were activated. There didn’t appear to be such a security camera anywhere in the kitchen. After catching her breath, Charlie walked over to the heavy door that led into the alleyway, where Lamarr and Marla practically leapt out of the darkness. 

“We thought you’d forgotten about-”

“Shh! The robots are sound activated, remember?” 

“Oh. Right.” Marla put a finger to her lips. “What’s the plan?” 

“Basically we all camp out somewhere where we can watch them and not be spotted by the nightguard.” 

“Can we at least play the arcade games while we wait?” Lamarr inquired. 

“No! They make noise.” Marla reminded him, “Play Snake on your phone or something.”

“Come on.” Charlie whispered, “John’s finding Carlton and Jessica right n-” 

“Hey! You kids!” The three jumped and Carlton smirked. “Heh. Gotcha.”  

“Carlton! Come on, man!” Lamarr hissed. 

“We can’t screw around- we have to find a place to-” They froze at the sound of the sliding doors opening up front. 

“Everyone stay. Here.” Charlie said urgently, walking to the doorway of the kitchen. Her breath hitched in her throat. Fritz had arrived. 

 


	10. Behind Closed Doors

## Chapter 10: Behind Closed Doors

Fritz paused for a few seconds before re-locking the sliding glass doors he’d just entered through. He, too, walked slowly and deliberately.

“Who’s that?” Jessica leaned over Charlie’s shoulder.

“Who do you think?” The girl hissed, “What’s he doing? He’s 45 minutes early!”

Fritz glanced around and then became fixated on the illuminated kitchen.

“Go back, go back!” John exclaimed, shooing the group behind him. They dove behind a large kitchen island just as Fritz stepped onto the black and white tiles.

“Hello?” His voice was laced with agitation as he scanned the room, determined to locate whatever employee was still around. “You can’t be here right now. Building has to be cleared by 10:30.” He’s going to find us. Charlie swallowed and shut her eyes. He’s going to find us, he’s going to call the police, they’re going to call my dad…. her thoughts raced along with her heart.

“Hi!” Everyone jumped as a childlike, boyish voice echoed through the dining room and kitchen. Fritz cursed and stalked out of the kitchen, switching the lights off. “Hello?” The voice continued.

“God dammit…”

Charlie opened her eyes as Fritz switched off the kitchen lights and disappeared into the dining room, presumably to find the animatronic culprit, which Charlie knew was Balloon Boy.

“That. Was close.” Marla breathed.

“We have to find another place to hide.” Charlie said calmly.

“Where? He’ll see us no matter where we go!” Jessica lamanted.

“Only if he’s still in the dining room.” Charlie stood up and poked her head out of the kitchen door.

_“CHARLIE!”_ John hissed. She held up her hand and glanced around the dining room. Fritz was nowhere to be seen, in the shadows or otherwise.

“All clear.”

Her friends just stared at her.

“Come on, we can hide under the tables by the carousel.” She Insisted. Jessica slowly joined her friend and was followed by the rest of the group. “Follow me.” Charlie led them to a long party table by the arcade cabinets and ducked underneath it.

“Now what?” Lamarr leaned against one of the metal table legs. Everyone turned to Charlie, who opened her mouth and closed it again. What did she want to accomplish? What _did_ she expect to find?

“They’re not acting right.” She said simply.

“And?” John raised an eyebrow.

“And we’re going to watch them and figure out why.”

“You mean we’re just going to sit here?” Carlton groaned.

“Hey, you agreed to stay.” John reminded him.

“Look, I just want to watch them for a little while. If nothing happens, we can go out the back door and head to John’s.” Charlie hissed.

“And in the meantime?” Marla yawned.

“We sit and wait.” Charlie looked to the show stage, where the three toy animatronics stood motionless yet attentive. They were listening, she knew. Listening for the laughter and playful screams of children. But there was only the sound of Fritz’s footsteps as he paced the dining room. Carlton took out his phone and started playing a game of Snake. Marla and Lamarr looked over his shoulder. Jessica took out a pack of chewing gum and popped some in her mouth. Charlie’s eyes grew heavy and she rested her head on John’s shoulder.

“Hey, what happened to watching them?” He smirked and elbowed her.

“You can wake me up when they start moving.”

“Wait. You didn’t take your pills. What if you hallucinate?”

“...Snap me out of it. It’s not that hard.” She buried her face in his chest. I hope.

 

* * *

_“Stop! I’ll tell my daddy!” Charlie threatened, managing to get a hold of one of Theodore’s legs. The boy with the mullet just laughed.“Oh no, I’m so scared. She’s gonna tell her daddy, Mike.”_

_“Oh no! Not that!” Mike smirked and leaned down. “If you wanna get your rabbit back, you aren’t gonna tell anyone anything.”_

_Charlie grunted and managed to free Theodore._

_"Hey, guys, there’s pizza and birthday cake.” A girl wearing a yellow chicken mask walked over to the group. Mike rolled his eyes and dropped the Fredbear plush._

_“Fine. Let the BABIES have their toys. Come on…”_

_Charlie thought she saw a hint of a sympathetic smile behind the chicken mask, but she wasn’t certain. She turned to look at her new friend, who was sobbing quietly._

_“Hey…” Charlie gathered as many crayons and as much paper as she could. “I know where we can hide.”_

_The boy wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked up at her fearfully._

_“Come on.” She reassured him, “Bring your bear with you.”_

_“...Goldie.” They boy whispered._

_“Goldie.” Charlie repeated, “Bring Goldie with you.”_

_There was a hint of a smile from her friend as she led him away from the wall._

_“Charlie?” Suddenly another small boy was walking beside her. “Where are you going?” The boy had brown hair that was similar in texture and color to hers, the only difference being the short length. He had brown eyes and a round face that mirrored hers._

_“We’re going to go in the closet.” Charlie gestured to the meek boy cowering behind her. “Want to color with us?”_

_“Okay!”_

_The three made their way to the large storage closet and Charlie ushered the boys inside, making sure her former tormentors weren’t looking. Once she felt safe, she shut the heavy door behind her._

* * *

“Guys! Bonnie’s moving!”

Charlie woke with a start to see Marla poking her head out from under the table.

“Let me see.” Charlie gently pushed her friend to the side to look. Sure enough, the blue rabbit had stepped off of his stage. She crawled out from under the table and over to some nearby arcade cabinets to watch him. Her friends followed her tentatively.

“Where’s he going?” Lamar whispered.

“I..I’m not sure.” Charlie whispered.

_“They want to be where the people are.” Henry whispered, ducking behind the bare party table. Toy Chica stood a few feet away from the party room, in docking mode. She had her back turned to the father and daughter duo._

_“Here.” He handed Charlie a small kazoo. The 13-year-old looked at him skeptically. “Go on. Make some noise but don’t let her see you right away.”_

  
_**Phhppppttzzz!**_

  
_The animatronic chicken sprang to life and turned around to face the barren party room behind her._

_“Again.” Henry encouraged his daughter._

  
**_Phhppppttzzz! Phhppppttzzz!_**

  
_Toy Chica wandered into the room, her beak opening and closing as she worked to register where the sound was coming from. Henry stood up and waved._

_“It’s party time, Chica!”_

_“It’s party time!” Chica agreed, waving Mr. Cupcake around._

Charlie had to shake her head to get her mind moving again.

“They want to be where the people are.” She said softly, “They’re trying to find the party.”

“Okay, but we’re right here. Aren’t we the party?” Jessica inquired.

“Shhh!” Charlie held a finger up to her friend’s lips. “Until now, we were being too quiet. There’s a lot more noise in the security office right now. The guard is probably shuffling papers around and messing with the cameras.” The two robots that remained onstage apparently hadn’t heard Jessica’s outburst. They remained stoic and stared straight ahead despite the light on top of the security camera activating and shining down on them.

“Should we follow Bonnie?” John asked, joining his girlfriend by the arcade cabinets.

“Not until Freddy and Chica leave- they’ll see us if we try to follow him right now.” Charlie replied, “It’s best we stay here, out of the view of the cameras.”

“You mean we have to sit here doing nothing AGAIN?” Carlton griped.

Charlie shot him a look.

“...Maybe not.” Jessica gestured to the show stage. Toy Chica stepped down, followed immediately by Toy Freddy.

“All right!” Marla failed to hide the excitement in her voice. Charlie was pleasantly surprised to hear it- she was sticking with her. They were all sticking with her.

“Wait!” Jessica stumbled into John and he stumbled into Charlie just as the group was venturing past the arcade cabinets. “What about that one?” She gestured to Balloon Boy, who stood across from the tiny carousel nearby.

“We don’t need to worry about him. He can’t move.” Charlie smiled. “If anything, he’ll just talk all night.”

“Hi!” The childlike animatronic said right on cue as the group passed him. “Hello?” His blue eyes followed them but he remained still.

“Shh.” Carlton shushed him jokingly and the animatronic laughed.

“Carlton!” Charlie snapped. “Fritz will investigate if he keeps hearing that!”

“...Fritz?” John inquired as the group crawled through the dark dining room.

“...He was here a few days ago when my dad and I were here. I caught his name when he was interviewing.” Charlie suddenly thought of the way Fritz had said her name during their brief encounter. _“Charlie?”_

“Who would want this job?” Marla sniggered and interrupted her train of thought.

“Someone pretty desperate.” Charlie muttered before pausing. The door to the left of the stage was wide open. The room beyond it was enticing and inviting despite the darkness within. That had to be where all of the Toy Animatronics’ parts were kept- she hadn’t seen any in the parts and service room by the bathrooms. She was hearing that eerie music box in her head again, but this time it was echoing throughout the room.

“...Do you guys hear that?”

“Hear what? That music box?” John whispered in her ear.

“Yeah!”

“...I wanna find it.” Jessica breathed.

“I think it’s coming from the prize counter.” Carlton remarked. “Let’s go.”

_The Puppet._  Charlie had completely forgotten about her father’s most advanced creation. How had she missed it completely a few days prior? The eerie tune was never only in her head. Her encounter with her father’s withered creations flashed through her memory and her head started pounding again. Unlike her friends, she wanted to stay as far away from that… that.. _thing_ as possible. She’d never liked it, not even when her father had it give a present to her on her fifth birthday. It was always so _ominous._

“You guys go ahead.” She had her eyes set on the stage door.

“..We’ll meet you over there.” John told his friends, who nodded and stealthily made their way to the prize counter.

“Stay out of the camera’s view!” Charlie reminded them sharply, “There’s one over there!” Once they were out of sight, she gestured for her boyfriend to follow her through the darkened doorway by the stage. She flipped the light on and carefully shut the door behind them once they were inside. John stepped backwards as he caught sight of the empty plastic heads and various parts strewn across the disorganized shelves on the wall.

“Jesus. What do they do to these things?”

Charlie barely heard him- she was too busy staring at the yellow rabbit in the corner. The yellow rabbit with a large metal crank beside it, the rabbit her father claimed to have destroyed years ago.


End file.
